New to IUI w/ DS... HELP!

[Honeybee80]

Hi All!

I'm 28, DH 33. Dx Azoospermia due to congenital lack of Vans Deferens. I ovulate normally, but have never been pregnant.
We have decided not to persue ICSI or IVF at this time and look to doing IUI with DS.

We have an appt on the 20th with my Dr to find out what we need to do.

What kinds of things should I ask?

What kinds of tests will I need before we can get started?

What is the timeline from decision to first cycle?

Should I push to use something like Clomid to up my odds, even though I ovulate normally?

Should I have two IUI per cycle? (I haven't seen stats on how much that increases the odds)

Thanks for all the help.. I know I can ask the Dr a lot of these questions, but heard from you all is so helpful. Thank you again for your time

[CMorrison]

Child Ment.

Welcome Honeybee. We did IUI with ds to conceive our daughter. To make a very long story short they couldn't find anything definitively wrong with me after countless tests but because I kept having m/c they assumed the problem was with me. Anyway as a last ditch effort we moved to ds and finally had a healthy baby. All that to say since they had already started me on meds just in case she was conceived using injectables. We are just starting this month to try to have a second and are doing the IUI without meds. RE said that the meds would not increase my chance of getting preg since my hormone levels, ovulation etc looked fine. We will try for 3 to 4 cycles without anything and then reassess at that time. As for the timeline the thing that slowed us down was finding a donor we liked. You might want to find out what sperm banks your clinic works with and start looking at potential donors to get that process under way and of course talk with dh so you two can decide what factors are most important to you. You will have to find out what your CMV status is since if you are neg it is highly recommended you use a neg donor. As for doing two IUIs per cycle I've heard different things on that. Some claim it does increase your odds of getting preg and many people do it. My RE says that one well timed IUI is just as good and it saves you the cost of using two vials per cycle which can really add up if it takes a few months to get preg. FWIW I got preg on my 2nd cycle with first preg doing only one IUI per cycle. Hope this helps. Good luck with your appt! I hope you can get things moving along quickly because I know how hard it is to have to just sit and wait.

[maria_27]

Hello Honeybee,

I also am doing IUI w/donor sperm. My husband had his vascetomy reversed twice and neither time was successful. DH actually suggested we use donor sperm and so after a few months of searching donor catalogs, getting tested again and just making sure that we were doing the right thing we tried our first IUI but it didn't work. We tried one more time with the same donor but no success again. I decided to take a but for a while but we are now ready to try again. We are going to use a different donor this time. Our next IUI should be sometime at the end of the summer.

I use Clomid and it works well for me. I get 2-3 eggs every time i use it. I am monitored with ultrasounds to make sure that follies are developing and then have to decide when to have the sperm shipped. This can be tricky. I have had to cancel 2 cycles because I couldn't have the sperm here in time or because I had ovulated way early. But, I know that this will work for us eventually. I just have to keep trying.

I have heard many success stories of women using accupuncture on the day of their IUI but I haven't tried it myself yet.

Good luck with the proccess! I hope it works fast for you but don't get discouraged if it doesn't. It can take just as long as if you were trying naturally.

Keep us posted on your journey!

[msshino]

Hi Honeybee,

I would suggest getting your ds samples sent to your clinic right when you start your cycle. That way you won't have to worry about it when it's time for inseminations. The clinic should have a tank ready to store samples so I wouldn't worry about that.

In order to use donor specimens you have to get all the communicables testing and other diseases. I would recommend getting this done right away so it won't hold you back. Also if your clinic requires therapy, it's best to get that out of the way too. Our clinic wanted us to at least do one visit. Also they will have to test you hormone levels on day 3 of your cycle.

Natural cycles are best since clomid and Letrozole can do weird things to your body. So I recommend natural if possible. But the RE normally pulls out studies showing a higher pregnancy rate with Clomid so they told me it's better to use it than not. I think you should go with your gut. I don't regret using Clomid but I think it messed with my hormones and made my autoimmune condition worse. I am sure you will be just fine though.

Good luck!
Shino

[Honeybee80]

Thanks so much for replying!!!

We are going to use Cryogenics Labs and we have already narrowed down to 4 donors. We're not all that picky DH is pretty average in all respects and both sides of our familys have blondes, brunettes AND redheads in all shades and all eye colors.

I have been working on a list of questions to ask the doctor and I'm already up to three pages!

I know that we're just getting started in the treatment process, but it's already been such a long journey. We tried for a while and nothing happened, then had some preliminary tests done showing 0 sperm for DH. We thought at the time it would be easier and less expensive to adopt and so we began the process of domestic adoption. The more research and meetings and soul searching we did we realized that it wasn't the right choice for us. So back on the bandwagon for more testing.
I'm just so relieved to finally have an answer and a plan. I'm trying so hard to not get overly excited, but it's really hard. I tend to get really really sure something will happen and then when it doesn't I'm crushed, so I'm really trying to take it easy with this and just let things play out.

I keep reading other people's stories and knowing that cycles get delayed all the time and that cycles fail (NO, Really?? ) but it's like the last thing I want to hear right now. I WANT to believe with all my heart that this is going to work. the first time. (I know... it's a far off dream)

I'm so so hoping that I'l be able to do my first try in July.

So long ramble.. little question... Did your hubby go with you the actual procedure? I read somewhere that some men are really uncomfortable about it (using the DS) so they don't go.. but I can't imagine not wanting to be there when your child is (possibly) conceived.

[CMorrison]

Honeybee FWIW I completely understand how you feel in all respects and I like you got and am very excited about getting going. I think it is great that you are so excited and feeling so positive about everything. Just remember that even for people that don't have IF issues it can often take several months to get preg. Also since things seem to be fine with you I can't see why this route wouldn't work. It sounds like you have the process well underway too which will help speed things along. I'm surprised to hear about cycles being cancelled because of shipping issues. I have 6 vials stored at REs as we speak waiting to be used. As for your question, my dh isn't able to come to all the appts but comes when possible and was there for the IUIs. He wasn't uncomfortable but I think it is a personal choice and you have to do what is right for you. Oh and related to the meds thing, I took clomid for 2 cycles before moving to IUIs and refused to take it after that because it was absolutely horrible for me. I had wicked hot flashes, and the worst headaches of my life. I also felt like it messed up my system.

[Tbar]

Honeybee80:

I'm in the middle of my 4th unmedicated cycle using donor sperm. I'm 8dpiui. My DH had a failed reversal and it has been very hard for him to accept donor sperm, but we have moved forward with it. We choose to let our clinic pick our donor, but I will admit I do look at who they picked because they tell me the donor # when going in for the IUI. However I don't share that with DH. For my dh he felt like a failure that he couldn't get me prego by the reversal. To me it makes no difference. Anyway my dh comes to some of the inseminations, but does not come back with me. For him it's uncomfortable and honestly it takes 5 minutes, so I'm fine with it. Funny part is my dh is a firefighter/emt, but he struggles with this...LOL!!! Even when I had my HSG done he really didn't want to go back, but was kinda forced by the nurse and thank goodness he did because it was not a very comfy test!

Like msshino.. I called my RE my 1st day of my period and they order the sperm so when I get the + on OPK's I go in the next day as well as the following. Never had a problem with the sperm not being there.

Good luck on the journey!

[Honeybee80]

Chantal and Tbar- Did you "O" on the weekend? how was it handled?
I see a lot of people saying if your Dr won't do the IUI on a weekend that you should go somewhere else, but local people tell me it's close to impossible to find a doc who will work on the weekend. The whole thing makes me nervous, I don't want to have to put off a cycle because I didn't O on the right day. I'm not sure if my GYN have storage facilities so that further complicates things... I'd have to send it back and then reorder.

I started AF yesterday so I am grumpy today.. sorry.

The 20th just seems so far away....

[Tbar]

Honeybee,

I never surged on a weekend, but my clinic does IUI's on weekends so it wouldn't of been an issue.

I'd check around your area for Fertility clinics. I can't imagine a doctor not around on a weekend because you can't make a surge happen on their schedule.

Are you going in for your first IUI when you surge this month?

[CMorrison]

I've never had to do an IUI on a weekend but have had to do other stuff and I know my clinic does do procedures and testing on weekends because like you said, they can't control mother nature in fact I am having bw & u/s this sunday and will meet with a RE after. It may or may not be me own it depends on who is oncall this weekend but they are all very good so it doesn't really matter to me. That would definitely be a question to ask at your first visit. I would also ask about storage facilities and whether or not they've had to cancel cycles because of the shipping issues. That would be absolutely horrible to wait all that time, go through all the testing etc and then have a cycle cancelled for something like that. If you RE doesn't store maybe there is another facility that you could use that doesn't have those problems.

Isn't the waiting the worst part! I hate all the waiting too but try and keep busy and the 20th will be here before you know it and you will be even more excited since you will have a clear plan and some timelines too. Keep us posted.